Urinal Mat

ABSTRACT

A urinal mat ( 10 ) comprises a mat of plastics material ( 12 ) and a block containing bacterial material, the block being held in a fixed position relative to the mat of plastics material, a water impermeable cover ( 26, 28 ) extending over sides and an upper surface of the block containing bacterial material, the urinal mat further having a lower surface below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more apertures ( 42 ) therein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a urinal mat of the type that is placedinto a urinal.

BACKGROUND ART

Male urinals typically comprise a receptacle made from ceramics ormetal. The urinal typically has a generally vertical wall that extendsdown to a floor region of the urinal. The floor is fitted with anopening so that urine and flush water can be removed from the urinal. Inuse of such urinals, a stream of urine impacts on to the wall and/orfloor of the urinal and pools in the lower part of the urinal as itdrains from the urinal. Flush water may be used to flush out anyresidual urine. Flush water may be provided by a user manually operatinga flush button or by way of periodic automatic flushing.

In order to address issues of odour and hygiene in male urinals, it hasbeen common practice to place cakes of chemicals in the urinal. Suchcakes typically include antiseptic agents and fragrances. The cakesslowly dissolve when they are contacted with urine or flush water. Suchcakes typically have a very strong and somewhat unpleasant odour.

More recent developments have seen the introduction of urinal mats intourinals. Urinal mats typically comprise a plastic mat having a number ofholes or apertures therethrough. Such mats may also include upstandingfingers or bristles to reduce or minimise splashing of urine streamsthat are directed onto the mat. The plastic may be impregnated with afragrance or perfume that is released when the urinal mat is wetted. Inthis manner, the fragrance or perfume is released to thereby maskodours.

Other efforts to address odour and hygiene in male urinals involve theuse of blocks containing bacterial products that consume or react withcompounds in urine. These bacterial blocks are typically made by mixingbacterial culture(s) with a powdered surfactant and water and pressingthe blocks to shape. The blocks are placed into the urinal and when theyare wetted by urine or flush water, they start to dissolve to therebyrelease bacteria into the urinal and the piping associated with theurinal. The bacteria then consume or react with some of the compounds inthe urine to thereby improve hygiene. In practice, these bacterialblocks can be rapidly consumed and require frequent replacement.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication isreferred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission thatthe publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art inAustralia or in any other country.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved urinal mat, which mayat least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioneddisadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercialchoice.

With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one form, residesbroadly in a urinal mat comprising a mat of plastics material, a blockcontaining bacterial material, a housing or cover having an upperportion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surfaceextending below the block containing bacterial material, the lowersurface having one or more openings therein.

In one embodiment, the upper portion of the housing or cover comprises aclosed surface that encloses the upper surface and the sides of theblock containing bacterial material. The upper portion of the housing orcover may be made from a water impermeable material.

In one embodiment, the lower surface extending below the block ofbacterial material and/or a lower surface of the mat is provided withfeet or legs to space the lower surface from a floor or wall of theurinal. The feet or legs may have a length that falls within the rangeof from 2 mm to 5 mm, or suitably from 2 mm to 3 mm.

In some embodiments, the block containing bacterial material is locatedwithin a block housing. The block housing may comprise a lower partcomprising the lower surface and an upper part comprising one or moreclosed side walls and a closed upper surface. The upper part and thelower part of the housing may be adapted to be joined together to formthe block housing. The block containing bacterial material may belocated in the upper part of the block housing and the upper part andthe lower part of the block housing subsequently joined together tothereby retaining the block containing bacterial material within thehousing. The upper part may comprise the upper portion of the housing orcover.

In one embodiment, the mat of plastics material is formed with anopening therein that is of complimentary size to a periphery of thelower part of the housing. The lower part of the housing can then befitted into that opening and thereby connected to or joined to the matof plastics material. The upper part of the housing may then be joinedto the lower part of housing. It will also be appreciated that the upperpart and the lower part of the housing may be joined together and thenthe housing placed into the opening into the plastics that to therebyjoin the housing to the plastic mat.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a urinal matcomprising a mat of plastics material and a block containing bacterialmaterial, the block being held in a fixed position relative to the matof plastics material, a water impermeable cover extending over sides andan upper surface of the block containing bacterial material, the urinalmat further having a lower surface below the block containing bacterialmaterial, the lower surface having one or more apertures therein.

In some embodiments, the mat of plastics material is impregnated with afragrance. The fragrance is released when the mat is wetted by urine orflush water. Desirably, the fragrance is present in the plastic mat inan amount of up to 30% by volume. The fragrance may comprise anycommercially available fragrance known to be used in urinal mats.

The mat of plastics material is desirably made from ethylene vinylacetate (EVA). Using EVA as the sole material from which the plastic matis made at allows for a high concentration of fragrance to beincorporated into the mat. For example, as indicated above, thefragrance may be incorporated into the EVA mat in an amount of up to 30%by volume. However, it will also be appreciated that the mat of plasticmaterial may be made from any other plastic material known to besuitable for use in the manufacture of urinal mats.

The block containing bacterial material may comprise any bacteria knownto be suitable for the degradation of urine by-products. The block manyinclude aerobic bacteria. Bacillus bacteria may be used. The bacteriamay include those that produce one or more of the following enzymes:protease, lipase, amylase, cellulose and uriase. They bacteria producethese enzymes to help break down the urine into chemicals which they andother bacteria can digest. The final outcome is that the bacteria reducethe urine to harmless substances such as carbon dioxide and water.

In some embodiments, the block containing bacterial material may alsoinclude one or more enzymes that can help break down urine intochemicals which the bacteria can digest. This allows the urine torapidly break down and the bacteria to rapidly digest the compoundsproduced by the enzymatic action. This, in turn, allows for rapid odourreduction.

The block containing bacterial material also suitably comprises one ormore surfactants. When the block is contacted by urine or water,surfactant is released from the block along with bacteria and thisassists in having the bacteria coat the entire inner surface of pipesconnected to the urinal. In this regard, the surfactant may have afoaming action and the foam may assist in distributing the releasedbacteria around the inner surface of the pipes.

The surfactant is suitably a water soluble surfactant.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the block containingbacterial material includes a solid surfactant. The solid surfactant maycomprise a surfactant that is in the solid state at temperatures rangingfrom −15° C. to +50° C. The surfactant should suitably dissolve at asteady rate in the presence of water or urine to allow for dispersal ofthe bacteria and the surfactant.

The block containing bacterial material may be produced by melting thesolid surfactant and mixing bacteria into the solid surfactant. Thisallows the bacteria to be well dispersed through the solid surfactant.Other ingredients, such as fragrances, may also be added to the block.The molten mixture may then be poured into a mould and allowed to coolso that it hardens into a solid block. In some embodiments, the mouldmay comprise the upper part of the housing or the cover. This isadvantageous in that the block containing bacterial material does notneed to be ejected from a mould and then positioned in the housing.Suitably, the solid surfactant becomes molten at a temperature that islow enough so that it is not harmful to the bacteria.

The block containing bacterial material may have bacteria present in anamount that is suitable to achieve the bacterial effects to reduceodours in urinals. In one embodiment, the block may have a bacterialcount of from 1×10⁷ to 1×10⁹ counts per gram, suitably from 1×10⁸ to1×10⁹ counts per gram, more suitably from 5×10⁸ to 7.5×10⁸ counts pergram. It will be appreciated that the present invention encompasses anysuitable bacterial concentration in the block.

In the urinal mat of the present invention, the lower surface beneaththe block containing bacterial material has one or more openingstherein. In preferred embodiments of the invention, urine and water canonly contact the block containing bacterial material through the one ormore openings in the lower surface beneath the block. The total area ofthe openings in the lower surface below is the block may be up toapproximately 10% of the area of the lower surface beneath the block, orfrom approximately 5% to 10% of the area of the lower surface beneaththe block.

Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combinationwith any one or more of the other features described herein within thescope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference tothe following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above of a urinal mat in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the plastic mat used in the urinal mat shownin FIG. 1.

In FIG. 5, the central housing that holds the block containing bacterialmaterial has not yet been attached to the mat;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the lower part of the housing thatholds the block containing bacterial material; and

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the housing that holds the blockcontaining bacterial material. In FIG. 7, the upper part of the housinghas been joined to the lower part of the housing that was shown in FIG.6.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

It will be appreciated that the drawings have been provided for thepurposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention.Therefore, it will be understood that the present invention should notbe considered to be limited solely to the features as shown in thedrawings.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a completed urinal mat in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention. The urinal mat 10 shown in FIGS. 1to 4 comprises a plastic mat 12. The plastic mat 12 may be made from EVAor other suitable plastic. The mat 12 is flexible, which means it isable to largely conform to the shape of the bottom of the urinal whenthe urinal mat 10 is placed in the urinal.

The plastic mat 12 is suitably made from plastic material that isimpregnated with a fragrance. The fragrance may be present in the mat inan amount of up to 30% by volume. Using EVA as the plastic allows forsuch high fragrance concentrations to be attained. The fragrance may beany suitable fragrance known to be used in urinal mats. Examples ofsuitable fragrances include spiced apple, kiwi grapefruit, cucumbermelon and mango. The person skilled in the art will understand that thefragrances are able to volatilise out of the plastic over a period oftime. The rate at which the fragrances leave the plastic may increasewhen the plastic is wetted by urine or flush water.

The urinal mat 10 also includes a number of projections 14 on its uppersurface. These projections extend upwardly and act to reduce splashingwhen a stream of urine is directed onto the projections. The projections14 also act to increase the surface area of the plastic mat 12, whichallows for a larger amount of fragrance to be released from the surfaceof the plastic mat 12.

The urinal mat 10 also includes a number of circular openings 16.Circular openings 16 allow urine that impinges on the top of the urinalmat 10 to flow therethrough, thereby providing for an enhanced drainageof urine from the upper surface of the urinal mat 10. The urinal mat 10also includes a number of elongate slots 18. Slots 18 not only allow fordrainage of urine therethrough, they also provide regions at whichnovelty or promotional items, such as football goalposts or the like,can be mounted to the urinal mat 10.

The urinal mat 10 also includes a central housing 25 that holds a blockcontaining bacterial material. As can be seen from FIG. 1 and FIG. 4,the central housing 25 extends upwardly from the plastic mat 12.

The plastic mat 12 may be made by moulding. The plastic mat 12 is shownin its' as-formed state in FIG. 5. As can be seen from FIG. 5, theplastic mat 12 has a large central opening 20. The central opening 20allows the housing 25 that holds a block containing bacterial materialto be mounted to the plastic mat 12.

The housing 25 that is mounted via central opening 20 to the plastic mat12 is shown in FIG. 7. The housing comprises an upper part 22 and alower part 24. Lower part 24 is shown in FIG. 6 separated from the upperpart 22. The upper part 22 of the housing comprises a top surface 26 anda downwardly extending sidewall 28. An outwardly extending flange 30extends from the lower part of sidewall 28.

The lower part 24 of the housing comprises a base plate 32 having anupwardly extending wall 34. Upwardly extending wall 34 is spacedinwardly from an outer periphery of base plate 32. An outwardlyextending flange or lip 36 extends from the upper edge of wall 34.

The base plate 32 is dimensioned so that it is larger than the openingof central opening 20 in the plastic mat 12. The upper flange 36 oflower part 24 of the housing is dimensioned such that it can fit throughthe aperture 20, although this may require that the opening 20 isslightly stretched as the flange 36 passes therethrough. The upwardlyextending wall 34 of the lower part 22 of the housing is dimensionedsuch that it has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as thediameter of the central opening 20 of the plastic mat 12.

The upper part 22 and the lower part 24 may be joined to form thehousing 25 by pressing the upper part 22 onto the lower part 24. In oneembodiment, the flange 36 of the lower part 24 engages with the upperpart 22 to thereby hold the upper part and the lower part together toform the completed housing. In one embodiment, in order to assemble theurinal mat 10, the upwardly extending wall 34 of the lower part 24 ispushed through the central opening 20 of the plastic mat 12. The upperpart 22 of the housing is then press fitted onto the lower part 24 ofthe housing to form the completed housing. The plastic mat 12 is alsoprovided with four openings 38 that receive upwardly extending legs (oneof which is shown at 40 in FIG. 7) that extend from the base plate 32 ofthe lower part 24 of the housing. This positions the base plate 32relative to the plastic mat 12 and also assists in retaining the lowerpart 24 of the housing in position. The legs may also be shaped to fitinto corresponding apertures in the lower edge of the flange 30 of theupper part 22 of the housing to hold the upper part and lower parttogether.

The upper part 22 and the lower part 24 of the housing are press fittedtogether. This acts to sandwich the part of the mat between the flange30 and the portion of the base plate 32 that is located directly beneaththe flange 30. This, combined with the legs 40 passing through theopenings 38, securely positions the housing relative to the plastic mat12 in the completed urinal mat 10.

The top surface 26 and sidewall 28 of the upper part 24 of the housingpresent a closed surface. In one embodiment, the upper part of thehousing is made from polypropylene or from another plastic material. Asa result, the upper part of the housing (for example, the part of thehousing that is visible in FIG. 1) presents a water impermeable surfacethat does not allow the passage of urine or water therethrough. Urineand water can flow through the circular openings 16 and elongate slots18 in the plastic mat 12. However, urine and water cannot flow throughthe upper part of the central housing of the urinal mat 10.

The housing of the urinal mat 10 holds a block containing bacterialmaterial. The bacterial material may comprise aerobic bacteria that candigest compounds in urine and other bacteria that produce enzymes thatbreak down compounds in urine into by-products that can be utilised bythe aerobic bacteria. Alternatively, or additionally, the blockcontaining bacterial material may also comprise enzymes. The blockcontaining bacterial material also comprises one or more surfactants.One or more fragrances may also be present. The block containingbacterial material is suitably formed by melting a solid surfactants andmixing in bacterial material, fragrances and enzymes. When the mixtureis fully mixed, the mixture is poured into an upturned upper part 22 ofthe housing and allowed to cool and solidify. Once it has solidified,the upper part 22 of the housing may then be joined to the lower part 24of the housing, as described above, to form the completed urinal mat 10.

The surfactant used in the block containing bacterial material issuitably a solid surfactant that is solid from −15° C. to 50° C. Thesurfactant may comprise a nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether, a polyolester polyoxyethylene ether, an alkyl polyglucoside or mixtures of twoor more thereof. The block preferably consists of surfactants,fragrances, bacteria and enzymes only. Suitably, no fillers are used inthe block. The surfactant is suitably water-soluble so that it slowlydissolves when it is wetted by urine or flush water. In preferredembodiments, the block contains around 5.9×10⁸ counts bacteria per gram.The block may have a weight of approximately 50 g with approximately 2 gof bacterial compound per block. Fragrances may be present in the blockin amount of from 5% to 10% by volume.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 32 of the housing 25 is providedwith a plurality of apertures 42. In particular, in the embodiment shownin FIG. 3, base plate 32 is provided with seven apertures 42. Theapertures 42 provide openings through which urine and flush water canpass and come into contact with the block containing bacterial materialthat is housed within the housing 25. In this manner, when the urinal isbeing used, some of the block containing bacterial material dissolveswhen it is contacted by urine and/or flush water that travels throughthe apertures 42. This releases the bacterial material, the fragrances,and the surfactants from the housing 25. In order to provide for anappropriate release rate of material from the block containing bacterialmaterial, the openings 42 in the base plate 32 may have a total areathat is between 5 and 10% of the area of the base of the block ofmaterial. The present inventor has found that using this ratio of openarea in the base plate to area of the base of the block of materialallows for a suitable rate of release of material from the blockcontaining bacterial material whilst also ensuring that the rate ofrelease is not so high that the usable lifetime of the urinal mat 10 isshortened. In some instances, humid air passing through the apertures incoming into contact with the block containing bacterial material may besufficient to dissolve or release some of the bacterial containingmaterial.

The urinal mat 10 also includes feet or legs 44 that extend downwardlyfrom a lower surface of the plastic mat 12. These are clearly shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. The feet or legs may have a height of from 2 to 5 mm,preferably from 2 to 3 mm. The feet or legs 44 space the lower surfaceof the plastic mat 12 from the floor of the urinal, thereby allowingurine and flush water to flow underneath the urinal mat 10. Urine and/orflush water flowing underneath the urinal mat 10 can also splash up orflow up through holes 42 to thereby contact the block containingbacterial material in the housing 25.

The urinal mat in accordance with the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a blend of non-pathogenic microorganisms andfree enzymes that produces an enzymatic activity to degrade organicmatter, whilst filling the washroom with odour masking fragrances. Theblend of microorganisms contains strains producing protease, lipase,amylase, cellulase and uriase. These enzymes attack the compoundspresent in urine to break them down to a state where they can be easilydigested by aerobic bacteria present in the block. The solid-state formof surfactant then acts in combination, flushing away the remnants ofthe urine and helping to clean the outlet pipes.

Combining an aerobic bacterial/enzyme blend with the solid-statesurfactants and masking fragrances gives rise to a three tier approachto managing washroom odours, most of which are a direct result of urinebreakdown by anaerobic bacteria in piping. In standard urinals that usea single fragrant masking agent, urine coats the outlet pipes, whichresults in the formation of uric acid crystals. These crystals harbouranaerobic bacteria, which are the main culprits in causing unpleasantodours in washrooms. Even when the urinal is not being used, thecrystals in the pipes attract moisture and continue to produce many ofthe odours found offensive, such as ammonia, mercaptans, amines,indioles and skatoles.

The urinal mat in accordance with preferred embodiments of the presentinvention includes bacteria producing the enzyme urease which breaksdown urea, a product of urine. The urinal mat in accordance withpreferred embodiments of the present invention also includes surfactantsthat are released during urination and flushing. The surfactantsassisting cleaning the urinal and the pipes. The surfactants also tendto form a foam as they travel through the pipes with flush water, whichresults in bacteria that are released from the bacterial block at thesame time coating all of the inside of the pipes. Therefore, thebacterial activity takes place across the full periphery of the pipes.The plastic mat and the bacterial block of the urinal mat in accordancewith preferred embodiment of the present invention also containfragrances to mask any undesirable odours.

The urinal mat may be made from materials that are 100% recyclable. Theurinal mat may be packed in a bag with a disposable glove. The urinalmat may be packed in a barrier film which means that the fragrance doesnot dissipate to any meaningful extent during storage.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the urinal mat mayhave a diameter of approximately 180 mm. The central housing that holdsthe block of bacterial material may have a diameter of about 60 to 65 mmand a height of about 20 to 25 mm. The bristles may have a height ofabout 5 mm. The feet and legs may have a height of about 2 to 3 mm. Itwill be appreciated that the mat may have other dimensions. Furthermore,the dimensions of the mat and the shape of the mat may be somewhatdriven by the size and shape of the urinal in which the mat is to beused.

In the present specification and claims (if any), the word ‘comprising’and its derivatives including ‘comprises’ and ‘comprise’ include each ofthe stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or morefurther integers.

Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘anembodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, theappearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ invarious places throughout this specification are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more combinations.

In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described inlanguage more or less specific to structural or methodical features. Itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to specificfeatures shown or described since the means herein described comprisespreferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is,therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within theproper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpretedby those skilled in the art.

1. A urinal mat comprising a mat of plastics material, a blockcontaining bacterial material, a housing or cover having an upperportion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surfaceextending below the block containing bacterial material, the lowersurface having one or more openings therein.
 2. A urinal mat as claimedin claim 1 wherein the upper portion of the housing or cover comprises aclosed surface that encloses the upper surface and the sides of theblock containing bacterial material.
 3. A urinal mat as claimed in claim2 wherein the upper portion of the housing or cover is made from a waterimpermeable material.
 4. A urinal mat as claimed in claim 1 wherein thelower surface extending below the block of bacterial material and/or alower surface of the mat is provided with feet or legs to space thelower surface from a floor or wall of the urinal.
 5. A urinal mat asclaimed in claim 4 wherein the feet or legs have a length that fallswithin the range of from 2 mm to 5 mm.
 6. A urinal mat as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the block housing comprises a lower part comprising thelower surface and an upper part comprising one or more closed side wallsand a closed upper surface, the upper part and the lower part of thehousing being adapted to be joined together to form the block housing.7. A urinal mat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mat of plasticsmaterial is formed with an opening therein that is of complementary sizeto a periphery of the lower part of the housing whereby the lower partof the housing is adapted to be fitted into that opening and therebyconnected to or joined to the mat of plastics material.
 8. A urinal matas claimed in claim 1 wherein the mat of plastics material isimpregnated with a fragrance.
 9. A urinal mat as claimed in claim 8wherein the fragrance is present in the plastic mat in an amount of upto 30% by volume.
 10. A urinal mat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the matof plastics material is made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
 11. Aurinal mat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the block containing bacterialmaterial comprises bacteria produce one or more of the followingenzymes: protease, lipase, amylase, cellulose and uriase.
 12. A urinalmat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the block containing bacterialmaterial also includes one or more enzymes that can help break downurine into chemicals which the bacteria can digest.
 13. A urinal mat asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the block containing bacterial material alsocomprises one or more surfactants
 14. A urinal mat as claimed in claim13 wherein the surfactant comprises a water soluble surfactant.
 14. Aurinal mat as claimed in claim 13 wherein the at least one surfactantcomprises a surfactant that is in the solid state at temperaturesranging from −15° C. to +50° C.
 15. A urinal mat as claimed in claim 1wherein the block containing bacterial material has a bacterial count offrom 1×10⁷ to 1×10⁹ counts per gram.
 16. A urinal mat as claimed inclaim 15 wherein the block containing bacterial material has a bacterialcount of from 1×10⁸ to 1×10⁹ counts per gram.
 17. A urinal mat asclaimed in claim 15 wherein the block containing bacterial material hasa bacterial count of from 5×10⁸ to 7.5×10⁸ counts per gram.
 18. A urinalmat as claimed in claim 1 wherein the openings in the lower surfacebeneath the block containing bacterial material have a total area thatis between 5 and 10% of the area of the base of the block of material.19. A urinal mat comprising a mat of plastics material and a blockcontaining bacterial material, the block being held in a fixed positionrelative to the mat of plastics material, a water impermeable coverextending over sides and an upper surface of the block containingbacterial material, the urinal mat further having a lower surface belowthe block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one ormore apertures therein.